Complications
by Edevale
Summary: Iruka has always been the normal Academy teacher. But when a mission goes wrong, his wish for an average life is quickly disappearing. Protecting people was his job...and he might just regret protecting a certain Kakashi Hatake.
1. Meetings

**A/N: Timeline set around the time Naruto and his genin classmates graduate. Senseis are assigned, but none of the squads have met theirs.**

**Sidenote: Corrected spelling mistakes and reread it for fluency.  
**

* * *

The academy teacher was enjoying his last few days at his mission receptionist desk before being sent off on a special mission the Hokage had assigned him. According to the Third Hokage, he was to go with two ANBU and the legendary Copy-Nin.

A man with about the craziest looking white-haired had walked in earlier. A dark mask covered most of his face and his Hitai-ate was worn at an odd angle, covering his left eye white leaving only his right eye visible. He'd introduce himself as Kakashi Hatake, the Copy-nin, in a rather lazy and drawled out sentence. Then he proceeded to joke around and make fun of the receptionist place, claiming it was really messy, and that Iruka was rather disorganized.

The academy teacher was simply flabbergasted at the way the Copy Ninja acted. After hearing all the wondrous stores about the man, he'd think Kakashi act a bit more "honorable." But no, he was lazy, rude, and he'd dubbed him as an "infuriating man."

Then Kakashi asked him his name. "Iruka?! Umi-no Iruka?!" he exclaimed, after hearing it. For a second, the academy teacher thought the man in front of him was going to die from pure shock. "Like dolphins? Dolphins of the sea?"

Iruka nodded dumbly, not sure where all this was going.

"Hmm..." Kakashi leaned in closer to Iruka. "It fits you pretty well, I'll say, you even look like one." Kakashi's visible eye curved into a smile as he continued to stu thedy Chunin.

Iruka felt his face turning red as he glanced around for something to hit the infuriating man with. By the time he had successfully dug out a bundle of rolled up paper, Kakashi was already halfway out the door. "Bye, Dolphin Boy! See you tomorrow!"

_Boy?! Now he calls me BOY?!_ Iruka glared dangerously at the door, as if expecting the Copy Nin to walk back in anytime.

"That's quite a nasty expression there, Iruka-senpai." Instead, Iruka's personal assistant walked in, carrying a fresh stack of papers. "One of your kids causing trouble again?"

"Ah, no, no…" Iruka rubbed his nose sub-consciously, embarrassed at the fact that he let his assistant see him so worked up. "Just a little stressed about the upcoming mission."

The young Chunin raised his eyebrows. "Oh, right. The one that Hokage assigned you yesterday?"

"Right. We have to escort a group of children from one of Fire Country's Villages. Hokage-sama knows I'm good with kids so he sent me along to calm and take care of the children for the trip."

"So who else are you going with?"

"Well, we'll be passing through a part of the Sound and Cloud Village so the Hokage sent two ANBU and one particularly infuriating man to come along."

"Infuriating man?" The younger Chunin repeated, surprised.

Iruka felt heat rising in his face as he realized what he said. "Erm, well, I mean Kakashi,.. Kakashi Hatake."

Iruka's assistant laughed. "The Copy Nin? Well, that's quite an honor. I I'd like to work alongside him. He's like…a legendary ninja."

Iruka shook his head at the naiveness of his assistant. "Hopefully. Anyways, the mission starts early in the morning tomorrow. I better get home early to rest. You know what to do when I'm gone?"

"Of course, Iruka-senpai," stated his assistant firmly.

The academy teacher nodded and picked up his bag. "Then good luck."

"You too."

* * *

"Umino…Umino!" A frantic knocking on the door almost caused Iruka to drop his hot fry pan. He sighed and set the sizzling egg on the stove, hurrying to open the door.

Two ANBU stood waiting outside; the one that had called his name was tapping his foot impatiently. Kakashi leaned against the wall of Iruka's house.

"What-already?!" Iruka was sure he set the alarm correctly. They were supposed to leave at seven in the morning, not six! He didn't even change yet!

"It's seven now, Umino." One of the ANBU said.

Kakashi peered over the Chunin's shoulder at a clock inside his house. "Looks like your clocks are useless too. It clearly says 7 a.m."

Iruka whirled around to stare at his kitchen clock as he suddenly realized with horror that he hadn't changed his alarm clock for the weekdays. "Excuse me for a moment," he said, face flushing with embarrassment. "I'll go change and get ready."

"Change? Oh, no need to change. You look rather dazzling in your striped pajamas, Dolphin Boy. I bet the children would love you."

Iruka's face turned red and he abruptly slammed the door in the Copy Nin's face. Kakashi's laughter followed him all the way into his room.

After a few complications and a farewell from the Hokage, the four-man squad exited Konoha and started on the main route heading West. Kakashi took the lead whilst the two ANBU took the back. The trip remained silent until Iruka decided to ask some questions. Questions that had been bothering him for awhile.

"Hey, Kakashi-san…why are you even in this mission?"

Kakashi paused mid-step, turning around to give Iruka his trademark smile. "Why the question, Iruka? You don't like me, Dolphin boy?"

This was not the answer Iruka was looking for…but then again, Kakashi WAS unpredictable. "You're annoying, you're rude, you're impolite. I don't go around calling you One-Eyed or Scarecrow."

"One-eyed? Scarecrow?" Kakashi chuckled as he started the trip again. "You don't know how many times I've actually been called that. But rude? I didn't know you were so touchy, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka scowled. _He goes from calling me Dolphin Boy, to first name status, now to calling me a sensei? _The academy teacher stiffened as Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know I'm just kidding right?" Kakashi said softly.

Then he was back in line again, his hands in his pocket, leading the team squad in his usual aloof and careless manner. "And to answer your question, Iruka. I quit ANBU recently for a VERY special job, but this is my squad, and I'm captain of it, so just think of me as an ANBU without a mask."

"Special job?" Iruka didn't like the way Kakashi said the word.

"A special job," repeated Kakashi again, a cheerful tone in his voice.

Iruka decided not to question the Copy Nin further, focusing his attention on the landscape around him. From his Chunin vest, he pulled out a personal map the Hokage had given him. As he traced their route to the current location, he was surprised to see how such a small conversation could take them so far into the trip without his noticing. They were at least one hour into the mission already.

But how much further did they have? This turned out to be as boring as one of the parent conferences at the Academy. He decided to focus his thoughts on the two ANBU behind him. Having never bothered with higher level "violent" ninjas, the Chunin never payed attention to their masks, but he was surprised to see that the delicate paint drawn on their masks came together to form an animal's face.

"What are you looking at, Umino?" One of the ANBU snapped after Iruka turned around to stare at them several times.

Iruka's face flushed. "Um, nothing. Sorry." _So that ANBU has the mask of a Fox and the other...well, it looks like a Ferret. Is that even possible? _he thought to himself._  
_

The two ANBUs in the back began whispering in low tones and Iruka couldn't help but listen in. "...one hour perhaps?"

"Yeah. We're passing through Cloud Village first."

"Aren't we already in Cloud Village?"

"On the borders of it. We're almost through."

"I see. Tell Wolf to speed up the pace. We have no time to afford." _Wolf? Kakashi?_

"Hm."

The Fox-masked ANBU flashed next to Kakashi and whispered in his ear. Kakashi nodded as the ANBU went back to his position again. "You heard him, Dolphin Boy! Speed it up!"

Iruka barely had time to protest when the Ferret-mask ANBU shoved him forward harshly. "No time to wander, Umino."

The rest of Iruka's time was spent trying to keep up with the speed of the squad. It was quite obvious his Chunin body wasn't quite up to the standards of the well-built ANBU body. By the time they reached the end of the Sound Village border, the pace had almost slowed to half the speed they were going before. Kakashi didn't mind, but Iruka could clearly sense the disappointment of the two ANBU behind him.

They reached the Village right when the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Iruka almost tripped on his legs as they slowed; it took all his effort to keep his wobbly, jelly legs from failing him.

Kakashi stayed with Iruka until Ferret and Fox came back from talking with the Chief.

"We'll be taking the kids tomorrow - the plan's to rest today. I'll keep watch - the rest of you discuss what we'll be doing tomorrow. Oh, and Wolf -mind taking the Chunin to the hut? Clearly, he can't keep up with us." Although Iruka knew by now that Ferret was a very straightforward and "mission-oriented" man, he couldn't help but wince at the blunt criticism of him. "I've talked with the Chief and he's going to let us use this hut overnight. It's a small village and we should be thankful for it."

Kakashi nodded and swung an arm around Iruka. "Alright, Dolphin Boy, we'll get to your room." Iruka's protests were muffled as Kakashi threw him into the small straw hut near the camp. "Sweet dreams, Dolphin Boy."

"Hey, hey-" Iruka tried getting up, but his body and legs refused to respond. He sighed and lay his head onto the straw mattress, suddenly realizing how tired and sore he was. Outside, the ANBU and Kakashi began to talk in low whispers. Iruka caught small phrases here and there, but he was quickly drifting into unconsciousness. He was out and snoring before he knew it.

* * *

Iruka was woken rudely by a bucketful of cold water. Not surprisingly, he saw Kakashi standing above him, giving him his trademark smile with an empty bucket in his hands. "You snore loud, Dolphin Boy. We couldn't get you to wake up, so Ferret suggested I do this."

Iruka spit out water as glared furiously at Kakashi. "And you listened to him?"

Kakashi tossed the bucket away. "Why not?"

Iruka scowled as he got up, folding the now-soaked blanket and laying it neatly out on the straw bed to dry. "What's the hurry anyways?"

"We just gotta take the kids home and that'll be that. The end of the mission."

Somehow, the last sentence seemed to motivate Iruka. When he slid on his Chunin vest, he was all ready for business. "So where are the kids, Kakashi-san?"

"The kids? Oh...talking about the kids. You might want to give them a nice look-over; they're rather depressed and dirty. Perfect job for a little Dolphin Boy like you." Kakashi chuckled and easily evaded Iruka's attempt at whacking him with a straw bundle. "Oh, and you should work on your aim a bit."

Iruka stood fuming for several minutes before exiting. Next time Kakashi comes in to take a mission, I'm assigning him the most painful ones there are, he vowed to himself.

"Umino! Over here!" Fox waved him over. The rest of his squad members were sitting around a small group of kids. The Town's elder, an elderly old man, stood coaxing them, reassuring them that the trip to Konoha would be a s safe one.

"But, this was our home!" An older kid with dark brown hair stepped out from the group of kids. He looked to be around ten years old. "We want to stay here," he said, speaking for all the children. "We've been here for half a year now."

"I know, Shiru. But it's time for you to leave. Konoha's a much better place then this old time-withered town. It's time for me and my wife to retire to the countryside to live out the rest of my life. This town will soon get run over by the Sound anyways." The Chief sighed and patted the young boy's head.

"But-" Shiru protested.

"That will be it, Shiru. Please: This is my last request."

The boy exhaled heavily and shot a nasty glare towards the Konoha squad. "I don't want to go with some creepy masked people!"

"Creepy masked people?" Iruka decided to take action. These kids were becoming more and more like his academy children. He'd expected to find a bunch of kids that needed some cheering up, but it was obvious that the older boy was working them up. "Now, Shiru, wasn't that your name? Does it look like I'm wearing a mask?"

The boy looked a bit taken-aback. "No-no…"

"Does he look like he's wearing a mask?" Iruka pointed at Kakashi, ignoring the fact he was being rude.

"No…"

"That's right. Just ignore the people with masks; they're here to protect us on our journey. It's going to be a quick one. Konoha's a wonderful place to live." Iruka smiled whole-heartedly at the boy.

There was a moment of silence and then the Chief laughed. "Well, now that's taken care of, you may leave now. I thank you for taking in the children."

Fox nodded. "Take care, Chief. Thank you for your hospitality."

The Chief nodded and walked back in the village. "Good luck on your journey," he called back.

The squad arranged the order, leaving Iruka and kids in the middle, and the ANBU in the front. Kakashi now guarded their backs, in which Iruka wasn't particularly happy about. He didn't trust the man, and he doubted he ever would.

The sun shone brightly in the afternoon sky when they reached the borders of the Hidden Sound. Iruka could feel the ANBU's tension before him; he knew that Konoha wasn't on friendly terms with the Sound, but the way the ANBU were acting made a bit more nervous then usual.

They were barely halfway into the road when several ninja threw themselves at Kakashi. The ninja turned out to be mere bandits, but they were dangerous nonetheless. Kakashi missed a shuriken heading Iruka's way and it nearly hit Shiru who was besides Iruka, save for the Academy Teacher threw himself in the weapon's way. They had to stop awhile and clean Iruka's wound before heading on.

"Throwing yourself in like that?" Kakashi had said disapprovingly while dabbing at Iruka's shoulder. "Rather careless of you. What if it hit some vital spot?"

Iruka frowned at the man for about 10th time that day. "Kakashi, if anyone's in danger, I save them. Their life values much more than mine at that moment."

Kakashi sighed and tied Iruka's shoulder with a thick cloth. "Throwing yourself isn't the way to go. At least you should learn to defend yourself and others with some basic weapons."

"I lose it when others are at stake," stated Iruka bluntly.

"Such a shame for an Academy teacher."

"...hey!"

Iruka spent the rest of trip teaching songs and basic ninja survival techniques to the young kids. He's earn their respect after saving Shiru's life and they were willing to listen to him and happily listened to his stories and lessons.

By midday, they were almost completely through Sound Village. The ANBU seemed to have relaxed completely and Iruka felt relieved that the mission was almost over. As they neared the border that marked the end of Sound Village, a dark chuckle was heard.

Everyone stopped. Kakashi and the ANBU immediately drew weapons. The children huddled behind Iruka in fear.

Ferret's ANBU masked seemed to darken as a shadowy figure stepped out of the trees. "Orochimaru. Traitor to Konoha."

"Kukuku. I'm surprised you know. I'm also rather hurt you decided to pass through my lands without saying hello to me." His long, pink tongue slithered out of his mouth as he glared at the group of ninja sardonically.

"Orochimaru. I suggest you move out of the way or we'll have to dispatch you." Fox moved his hands into a familiar hand sign that Iruka couldn't seem to remember where from.

"Dispatch me? Oh, there's no need for that. I'm not here for the kids." Orochimaru smiled at the ANBU and raised his hand. Immediately, dozens of Sound ninja appeared from the trees around them, moving in to attack the group.

Iruka frantically gathered up the kids, urging Shiru to lead them to a safe place out of the battlefield. Luckily, the kids sensed danger and needed no extra bidding, running towards the exit of the border with Iruka coaxing them behind.

The Academy Teacher got no further when he was slammed into the ground by a dead carcass of a Sound ninja. He dimly saw Ferret's mask being sliced in half by another ninja, revealing the face of a familiar man.

_Iniochi-san? Isn't that Ino's father? _Iruka recalled memories of the man coming to pick up Ino from her Academy studies after school. Iruka never really got a chance to speak with the man; the ANBU always seemed to be busy.

He shook his head to clear himself of the memories and focused on the problems that faced him right now. _At the kids are safe. Now to get out of here. _He pushed the carcass off him with some difficulty and cautiously stood up, ducking in time to avoid some kunais flying over him. 'Iruka, watch out!

Kakashi pushed Iruka out of the way as a dozen kunais flew towards them. The Copy-nin quickly countered all the weapons with his own kunai, making them fall to the ground, harmless. "Dolphin boy! I'll clear a path for you. Hurry and get the kids over the border!"

Iruka nodded and picked himself off the ground, waiting for Kakashi's signal. More Sound ninja flooded in, all of them seemingly targeted at Kakashi.

"Dammit - Iruka, move now!" Kakashi sounded desperate - his Sharingan was fully in sight now; the ex-ANBU was being pushed to his limit.

The academy teacher didn't need a second word. Iruka ran through the haze of ninjas, Kakashi behind him, while the ANBU took their back, taking out any shuriken.

"I don't think you'll be getting away so easily." Two huge snakes came bursting out of nowhere, knocking back Fox and Ferret. Kakashi cursed and stabbed a snake while the other headed for his neck.

"Iruka - I thought I told you to run!" Kakashi's words came out in quick gasps.

Iruka was thrown off balance again, throwing up his arm to protect himself from yet another round of shuriken. Dimly from the side of his eye, he could see Orochimaru's neck extend. the Snake Sannin was coming in quick now, fangs bared, ready to strike Kakashi with a quick death.

Without a second thought, Iruka threw himself in the way of Kakashi. A second later, his neck seemed to explode with hot fury pain...then his world was black.

* * *

**A/N: Hopefully, the next one will be out soon.**

**~Tenzo-kun  
**


	2. Sacrifices

**A/N: This chapter isn't completely proofread. I apologize for the messy behavior of my first chapter and perhaps, this one too. These are normally typed at around 4 or 5 a.m. in the mornings where I'm rather sleepy and tired.**

* * *

_"Iruka."_

_"Yes, dad, I'm coming!" A young Iruka ran rapidly towards his father._

_"Iruka!"_

_"D-Daddy?" As the boy leaped into the open arms of his father, the scene abruptly changed. He was surrounded by dozens of shadowy people. "F-Father? Where are you?"_

_Laughter echoed around the room. "He wants his father, he says."_

_"He wouldn't want his father anymore if he finds out what he agreed to."_

_"Quiet. Let it begin now."_

_Intense pain erupted from within Iruka. Just when he thought he couldn't bear the pain anymore, the scene around him changed. He was running besides his father and mother. "Daddy, we're so far away from home now. How can we get back by night?"_

_"We're not, Iruka. We're never going back."_

_"Then where are we going? Why do we have all our stuff, daddy?"_

_His father sighed and bent down to meet Iruka eye to eye. "We're escaping, Iruka. The Village is no longer safe for both of us."_

_Innocent eyes peered into sorrowful ones. "But, why, daddy?"_

_"It doesn't matter. Hurry it up, Iruka."_

_Iruka's mother patted Iruka's head affectionately. "It's going to be alright. I have friends from the Hidden Leaf that'll take us in. Hurry it up, dear."_

_They ran for about another ten minutes before their path was interrupted by several shuriken. "You're going no further, Umino!" Several ninjas wearing masks similar to Konoha's own ANBU appeared out of the trees._

_"Dammit! Homura, take Iruka and get out of here! I'll stall them!"_

_Iruka's mother looked shocked. "But –"_

_"Just go!" Iruka's father drew out a kunai. "Today I die..." he muttered to himself. "It's time to pay for my sins…"_

_As Iruka ran after his mother, the scenes began to change again. The sky overhead turned dark, quickly becoming a moonless and eerie night. A sound of a bloodthirsty roar sounded in the distance. Little Iruka screamed and covered his ears as the world around him seemed to fill with blood._

_"Iruka!"_

_"Mommy!" He saw his mother before him, impaled by the sharp claws of the Kyuubi. "No…no…" Iruka screamed in despair and charged at the Kyuubi. His body filled with an animistic rage; some sort of power seemed to overcome him._

_"Kid, watch out!" Several ANBU made the attempt to drag the boy back to safe grounds, but quickly retreated when the Kyuubi raised his paw. Iruka stared, transfixed, as the great, red paw towered above him. A distant voice seemed to whisper to him._

_**I am the Kyuubi…lord of all bijuus, obey me or suffer the consequences**! Crimson blood dripped from its claws and for a moment, Iruka could see what little of his life flashing before his eyes._

_As the Kyuubi lowered its paw, a small, quick figure flashed in front of Iruka, pushing him back. Fiery pain exploded on his face as the Kyuubi barely missed swiping his entire head off. Iruka sank to the ground, all fury gone, his face a mixture of blood and tears. Then he felt himself being lifted into the air, but he could care less now. Both his parents were dead: both of them had died for his cause._

_What else was there to live for?_

_Iruka opened his eyes to see his mother one last time, but all he saw was a glimpse of the huge Kyuubi and a shock of brilliant white hair._

"Iruka!"

_He'd been surprise to find himself awake in the hospital when he woke._

"Iruka!"

_But there was no point to living any longer…_

"Iruka! Do you hear me?"

_He wanted to die. The only remnant to that night…_

"Iruka! Wake up!"

_He'd looked into the mirror…and saw a pale, white scar running across the length of his face._

"Oi, Dolphin Boy!"

_Why was he still alive? If he died…he'd be free…_

"Dammit. Dolphin boy won't wake up."

_And free of a dark secret…_

"Wake up!" Iruka's world shook around him and he suddenly sat up, gasping. Dimly aware of the tears on his cheek, Iruka looked besides him to see a very concerned Kakashi and two silent ANBUs. _What happened to the Sound NIns? _the Academy Teacher briefly wondered.

"Damn it all, Iruka, you gave me quite a scare there."

"K-Kakashi-san?" Iruka stared at the Copy-nin woozily.

"Yes, Dolphin Boy, it's me. How do you feel?"

"I feel fine- Argh!" The instant he finished speaking, an intense pain clawed its way from his neck. He clutched his throat painfully as he fell to the ground again.

"Ferret, Fox, you might want to come take a look at this." Kakashi called the two ANBU over.

Iruka felt cold hands prying his fingers away from his neck. There was a distinctive intake of breaths.

"What-what is that?" Inoichi sounded horrified.

"It looks like a curse mark," Fox said.

"A curse mark? Isn't that the one Anko Mitarashi has?" Inoichi asked.

"Correct. It was a curse mark meant for me, I believe," Kakashi said darkly. "The idiot interrupted Orochimaru's attack and got bitten instead."

Iruka managed to scoff despite his pain. "I'll take that as a 'thank you,'" he said defensively.

"You're welco-" Kakashi frowned, his witty remark dying on his lips. "Dammit, Iruka. I never asked you to-"

"Drop it. Now where are the kids?"

"The group of kids?"

"Yes! For Hokage's sake, the KIDS!"

Kakashi stared at Iruka dumbly. "You're this injured, screaming in pain, and you're concerned about a group of kids?"

"They're little kids, Kakashi-san. They're innocent little- ugh!" A new wave of pain made his entire body shudder.

Fox bent over Iruka, studying the curse mark. "The curse mark seems to be very active," he said. "It almost looks like it's trying to resist something…and something else in Iruka's body views the curse mark as a foreign thing and is forcing it back."

"Here, we gotta get him back to Konoha as soon as possible." Kakashi picked up Iruka. "Ferret and Fox - try to relocate the kids and guide them back. Orochimaru disappeared after cursing Iruka, but I don't doubt the fact that he'll be back soon. I'll hurry off to Konoha now."

"Got it." Fox and Ferret sped off in the other direction.

* * *

"He...he already woke up? Impossible!" Kabuto had never seen his master so surprised.

Orochimaru licked his lips, his snake eyes narrowing as he thought about his curse seal. "That seal is supposed to render the victim unconscious for at LEAST two days. And he woke within an hour? Something must be wrong...or he just has very high potential."

Kabuto shook his head. "I researched him. Iruka Umino, Academy teacher. He's just a Chunin."

"What about his history?"

"Well, he's an immigrant from somewhere. On where, I have no information about. But he came to live in Konoha since he was four years old with his father. His father died in the Kyuubi attack when he was six. Iruka just went on with life; nothing special has ever been recorded about him except for his uncanny ability to deal with kids."

Orochimaru hissed, his hands hitting the desk of his wooden desk. "The Hell Curse Seal was meant for Kakashi. But did I go wrong somewhere?"

"It's not possible, Orochimaru-sama. The test results were 100% successful." Kabuto flipped through a stack of papers.

"Then the only possible thing left is that this Chunin has very high potential. Kabuto, I want you to focus on finding out where he originated from."

"Understood, Orochimaru-sama."

"And continue to watch him. My seal has been unable to influence him; I've only tasted remnants of his memory. He's somehow resisting it."

"Resisting?"

"Indeed." Orochimaru smiled, rubbing his hands sardonically. "Kabuto, put aside our plans for Hatake Kakashi now. I've got a more interesting subject to work on now."

Kabuto sighed. All the work done on trying to curse Kakashi had gone to waste. "Understood, Orochimaru-sama."

"Good. Now here's the new plan..."

* * *

Anko's stare was cold and hard as she surveyed the curse mark on Iruka's neck. "I've never seen the likes of it before," she said. "It might be a new one Orochimaru-sensei created."

"Are you sure you can do nothing about it?" The Third Hokage, Kakashi, and Anko watched as Iruka went through another agonizing spasm of pain.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. It's been years since I was with Orochimaru and I know nothing of his new developments." Anko bowed her head sorrowfully.

"I see."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm not sure. The doctors to tell me that pain-killers don't work on him. It seems like he is trapped in something like a genjutsu. Or even his own mind." Hiruzen sighed heavily. "Now we'll need a new Academy teacher in place - and I really don't know anyone better than Iruka."

"Didn't the genins get assigned their senseis already? There shouldn't be a new round of kids for awhile."

"Oh, correct. And you were one of the senseis?"

"Indeed. I was assigned to be the mentor of a Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno. I'm scheduled to meet them tomorrow."

Hiruzen nodded and turned to leave before he thought of something else. "Doesn't Iruka need to tell the children their teams though?" he asked, addressing the two ninjas before him. His old days in the Academy was coming back slowly to him.

Anko frowned. "I think he'd always done that, Hokage-sama."

"Well since he can't make it tomorrow..." Hiruzen scratched his head. "Kakashi, mind taking over his job for a day?"

"Eh?" Kakashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I - I can't stand those kids! It's bad enough I was assigned to be a sensei!"

"Just one day, Kakashi. Do it for your old Hokage." The ache in his head was beginning to make him dizzy. He'd done too much paperwork today and he really didn't want to search for another ninja to replace Iruka.

"Fine, fine." Kakashi sighed.

"Excellent. I'll go look for a copy of Iruka's team assignments. Wait here a moment, Kakashi." Hiruzen left the room.

"Well, Kakashi, I'll be going." Anko held up a hand sign and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi exhaled heavily and sank down on a chair next to Iruka's bed. All of this was becoming more and more troublesome - just to quote one of Fox's favorite phrase. He really didn't ask for Iruka's protection; but now he owed his life to a Chunin he barely knew.

But the jonin could hardly argue. If he was Iruka, he'd probably have done the exact same thing. After all, those who broke the rules were trash, but those who abandoned their comrades are worse than trash. If danger came, he'd protect a friend no matter. _Thank for teaching me that, Obito._

To pass time, Kakashi pulled out Make-Out Paradise from his pocket. He'd barely flip open to the first page when Iruka groaned besides him. "Ka-Kakashi-san?"

The Copy-nin immediately stored his book back again. "Yo, Iruka. How's the pain?"

Iruka's face was covered with sweat; his eyes were bloodshot and his usually tidy ponytail was in a mess. "I'm...I'm not so sure..." he gasped. "It's...horrible."

The two fell silent for a long moment. "Hey, Dolphin Boy. Since you're so ill right now, the Hokage asked me to take your place tomorrow."

Horror replaced the agonizing look on Iruka's face. "Yo-YOU?"

Kakashi smiled. "Why, you've got a problem with that, Dolphin Boy?"

Iruka shook his head. "You couldn't even deal with a small group of kids..." he said softly. "Nonetheless an entire class..."

"Aw, come on. I'm not that bad, am I? Remember when I told you about the special job?"

Iruka nodded weakly.

"I'm going to be a sensei in one of the squads."

Iruka made a surprised noise.

"That's right. Some kids called...Uzumaki, Uchiha, and Haruno."

"I...I can't believe it. You're tutoring Naruto?"

"Who's he?" Immediately after asking the question, Kakashi regretted it. Iruka entered another spasm of pain, barely recovering after a long minute of gripping the hospital bed's side tightly.

"Na-Naruto...he's such a cheerful kid..." A weak smile played on Iruka's lips. "Always eating ramen..."

"Ramen?" Kakashi frowned at the lack of information.

"Yeah...ramen. I thought you knew him, Kakashi-san."

"I'm not good with names."

"Oh..." Iruka lay back down on the bed. "And...and Sasuke. You'll need to watch that one..."

"The Uchiha?"

"He's so cold...I wish he'd learn how to make some friends." His breaths came in short gasps as the curse mark on his neck continued to battle with his own body.

"You all right, sensei?" Kakashi peered down on Iruka in concern. The Academy Teacher made no reply, his eyes scrunched in pain and his face contorted with excruciating pain.

"Oi! Stay with me, Iruka! What about Sakura?"

For a moment, Iruka said nothing. "Ah...yes. Sakura. That young girl has high potential...but she's always distracted by Sasuke..." It was getting harder and harder to talk properly. His vision was hazed by pain and his mind was spinning. "Kakashi...do me a favor."

The Copy-nin raised his eyebrows. "What is it, Iruka?"

"Take care of them well...they need a strong mentor. Consider it payment if you must..."

"Payment?" Kakashi chuckled. "No, no need for payment, Dolphin Kid. It's my job anyways."

"Your job?" The door opened and the Third Hokage walked in, handing Kakashi a stack of papers. "I finally got them. Don't forget to meet the kids eight in the morning tomorrow, Kakashi."

"I got it." Kakashi turned back to look at Iruka, but the Academy Teacher had blacked out. _Thanks for the encouragement, Dolphin Boy._

For now, Kakashi would worry about his new job and Iruka's health. But the fact that Orochimaru wasn't done dealing with him was a constant factor in his mind. The Copy-nin knew that the Snake Sannin still had more in store for Iruka and him.

He'd need to keep an eye out. After all, he didn't want any more sacrifices made for the cause of him. He'd had more than enough in his life.

* * *

**~Tenzo-kun  
**


	3. A Party for Iruka

**A/N: And I apologize for the late update. (I seem to be apologizing to people too much recently.) Handling four stories/different genres was much more than I thought I could take.**

**Sidenote: This is a bit of a comic relief omake chapter, but the plot should move quickly along after this. Enjoy. And savor the happiness before I dwelve into angst.**

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* * *

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"Yo!" Kakashi congratulated himself on his new record as he dropped in through the Academy School's window. He was late…for only seven minutes.

The chattering died down to a stunned silence as Kakashi took his place in front of the class. "Yo," the Copy-nin tried again. "I'm Hatake Kakashi and I'll be your teacher today. Call me Kakashi-sensei." He flashed the children his trademark smile.

A kid in the front row raised his hand timidly. "Um, Kakashi-sensei…?"

"Hm?"

"If Iruka isn't here today, then how would we get our assigned squads?"

Kakashi waved his folder in the kid's face. "That's why I'm here. I'm doing the dirty work for Iruka in his place. Since you brought it up, I'll start with you. Name?"

"Eh…Kiba Inuzuka?"

"Figured you were an Inuzuka. Alright, let me look through this mess of papers…" Kakashi spread the papers out onto Iruka's desk. "Oh! You're with Kurenai-san. Your other two team members will be Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuuga."

Kiba opened his mouth to say something else, but a blond-haired boy in front of him beat him to it. "What about me, sensei! Who am I with?"

"Name?" The Copy-nin had a good guess on who the hyperactive boy was already.

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

Kakashi didn't even bother looking through the mass of papers. "Well, Naruto, you're teamed with a Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno."

"EEEEEEEE!" A pink-haired girl sitting next to Kiba screamed loudly, interrupting the copy-nin. "I'm with Sasuke-kun!"

Kakashi sighed. "And I'm your sensei."

"YOU?" Naruto stared wide-eyed at the Copy-nin.

"Yes, me. Now will you sit down, Naruto? I have several other squads to assign." The copy-nin was beginning to regret taking the job. How Iruka even managed to survive an entire year was a miracle in itself.

Naruto sat down slowly, squirming in his chair with happiness.

"All right then…" Kakashi looked through the list once more. "Eh…great. Where was I again?"

"Kakashi-sensei?" A familiar-looking young boy raised his hand from the middle row.

Kakashi frowned at the boy. _That ponytail and that lazy look…he looks so much like his father._ "Yes, Shikamaru?"

The genin looked slightly surprised at Kakashi's knowledge of his name, but continued on with his question. "Who will be our sensei?"

"Our?"

"Yeah. Ino, Chouji, and I. They put my dad with their dads; I bet they did it with us too," Shikamaru explained.

After some time of flipping, Kakashi finally found Shikamaru's name. "Asuma Sarutobi," he read from the paper. "Hey, you're with Asuma!"

Shikamaru frowned at the name, and then leaned his head back on the table. "I see. Thanks."

Within thirty minutes, Kakashi had given everyone their assigned squads and senseis. As he set down Iruka's folder, the copy-nin took a sneak peek at the clock. 10:14 a.m. His job was far from over.

He rapped Iruka's desk for attention. "All right, kids. What does Iruka usually do now?"

"It's only 10 a.m. He usually taught us math and chakra basics during this time, but we've already learned everything." Ino, the blond-haired girl, spoke out.

"Where's Iruka-sensei anyways?" asked a fat boy next to her.

"Eh, well…" Kakashi scratched his head. "He didn't feel too well today so he's resting somewhere."

"Iruka-sensei's sick?" A purple-haired Hyuuga girl exclaimed with concern.

"Naw, he's going to be fine," Kakashi said, attempting to divert the topic. "I've got an idea, kids. How about we make a get-well card for him and decorate the room for a party for him? He might visit in the afternoon."

There was a moment of silence, then all the children cheered. "I'll do the paper mache," Sakura called.

"I'll make the card!" Kiba volunteered.

Kakashi settled back, a smug look on his face as he watched the kids fumble about. The Academy Teacher was indeed dearly loved by his own students. Hopefully, Iruka would like his idea of his kids throwing a party for him. _No, no, the Dolphin Boy would love it. _He chuckled to himself.

"Kakashi-sensei." Kiba handed a big and colorful cardboard to him. "Sign it, will you?"

The Copy-nin raised his eyebrows. "Sign it? Is this Iruka's card?" He accepted the cardboard and picked up a marker from Iruka's desk. Writing out a quick message, he handed the letter back to Kiba. "Make sure you get that to him." Kiba grinned at the Copy-nin and ran off.

Iruka's students worked hard for three hours, even forgetting lunch until Chouji began complaining. Kakashi oversaw the decorating himself, nodding approvingly at the paper mache and other various wall paintings.

"So how is it?" Ino inquired the Copy-nin. The kids waited anxiously for Kakashi's reply.

"Hmm…we seem to be missing something." Kakashi crossed his arms and studied the place. Then he brightened, remembering one of the most important aspects to a party. "The games! Yes, we forgot the games!"

"GAMES!" The children high-fived each other and cheered excitedly.

"You could set up Shuriken Toss, Pin-the-Ninja, and other games," Kakashi suggested. "I'll move the tables and chairs to one side of the room so we can have a bit of fun ourselves."

After setting up several game booths, the children began to enjoy themselves, participating in the games and tossing decorations around. Chouji even passed out extra bags of his barbeque chips; the kids shared the snacks amongst themselves.

"We'll wait for Iruka to come," Kakashi had said. "So let's start the party ourselves."

Caught up in their party, no one noticed a certain Chunin stumble in through the door.

* * *

"No, Iruka-san! You are NOT allowed out of the hospital grounds!" The receptionist in the lobby of the Konoha desk scurried out of her booth and towards Iruka. "I'll escort you back to your room immediately."

The Chunin chuckled, waving away the woman's offer for help. "I'll be fine," he reassured. "I got my cane with me and I haven't been in pain for almost an entire day now."

"But, Iruka-san, I was ordered to-"

"You'll keep it a secret, right?" Iruka interrupted. "It's for the kids. I know they're going to be worried about me."

The receptionist sighed. She knew Iruka had a certain reputation amongst his students and even heard about a time where dozens of kids barged into the hospital just to see thier beloved Chunin sensei. "Be back quick or I'll report this to the Hokage."

Iruka smiled. "Thanks." He staggered his way out of the hospital, leaning on his cane for support as he followed the path down to the Academy School.

As the Chunin neared the Academy School, he heard noises of excited screaming from outside the building. He frowned to himself, wondering what exactly Kakashi had done to rile up the kids. Iruka sighed; he'd find out the sooner or the later. Whatever it was, he knew it probably wouldn't impress him at all.

He approached the Academy classroom almost hesitantly, the excited voices of the children overwhelming him. It sounded like a party to Iruka and he wasn't amused to see he had guessed right when he pushed open the classroom door.

No one noticed him enter through the door; they were all busy with their games and chats. Iruka frowned at the condition of the classroom; from the painted walls, to the moved desks, the games on the floor, and the messy papers on his desk...wait...MESSY PAPERS?

"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY REPORT PAPERS, KAKASHI?" Iruka roared, his temper getting the best of him. It had took him several day to organize all of his writings and now...

The class instantly quieted down, stunned at Iruka's outburst and his sudden appearance.

"Oh, eh, Iruka-sensei..." Kakashi smiled sheepishly, placing his toy shuriken onto the ground. "I didn't expect to see you here so soon..."

"But what did you do with my papers?"

"They were messed up in the party, Dolphin Boy," Kakashi tried to explain. "Don't worry, I'll fix-"

"Out!" Iruka pointed towards the door.

"Wha-!"

"Out. Now." Iruka glared at the Copy-nin with one of his scariest Teacher looks.

Kakashi rubbed his head guiltily and flashed a smile at the kids. "Someone's quite moody today so I'll be taking my leave!" He jumped out the window, ignoring Iruka's protests of rage.

Iruka turned his attention back to the genin as Kakashi disappeared into the distance. "Now as for you kids..." Iruka let his gaze fall on each and every one of his students. "I want all of this cleaned up. Now. No one is leaving until I see this classroom squeaky clean."

"But, Iruka-sensei, it was a party for you!" Naruto complained.

"An unnecessary one led by an infuriating man," Iruka said. He suddenly crumbled, barely holding onto his cane as a spasm of pain rushed through his body from his curse mark.

"Iruka-sensei!" The kids ran over to the Chunin.

"Are you alright?" Ino asked.

"Kakashi-sensei told me you fine," Sakura said, obviously worried.

Iruka shook his head, his anger melting at the concern of his students. "No, I'll be fine." Using his cane as support, he limped over to his desk and sat into the chair. "Now hurry up and go clean up, kids."

The genins nodded, scurrying to wipe away all signs of their small party. Several kids walked up to Iruka, presenting him with a big, cardboard card. "Kakashi-sensei suggested that we make you a Get-Well Card," Kiba said, shyly handing the Chunin the card.

Iruka accepted the huge cardboard cut-out, slightly amused at Kakashi's suggestion. "Kakashi did?"

Kiba grinned. "And we all signed it, sensei!"

Iruka smiled warmly at the Inuzuka, opening the card and reading through the messy messages and signatures his kids had written for him. "I'll tell the entire class _thank you _later, Kiba. Now go help the others." The Inuzuka nodded earnestly and ran off.

As Iruka was about to close the card and put it away, he noticed a small message scrawled in one corner of the card. "_Iruka - You're a **I**rregular, **R**emarkable, **U**ncommon, **K**razy, **A**cademy Teacher. You should be proud of yourself...it's not everyday I see a dolphin blow off his top so quick; been drinking too much seawater?_" Iruka was tempted to rip up the card, but continued to read Kakashi's message. The Copy-nin had horrible spelling and grammar mistakes, and the Chunin would make sure he teased Kakashi about that next time. "_P.S. You know sea snakes like eating dolphins. Bit by bit too. You should be wary." _

Iruka frowned. Sea snakes eating dolphins? Before he could decipher the meaning of the message, several genin came over, asking for water to clean the walls. The Academy Teacher put aside the card, Kakashi's message completely forgotten.

* * *

**~Tenzo-kun**


End file.
